recklessness. Which then sounded weird, like he was gasping at the idea of having a beer with his friend.
He ignored Vinnie as his phone buzzed with a text notification.
“You sure have your hand on your phone in a heartbeat lately,” Vinnie observed with far too much accuracy as Austin palmed his cell out of his back pocket.
It was true. He didn’t let his phone get far out of reach.
Sean’s Instagram addiction made it super easy to semi-stalk him without crossing the line into boyfriend-like questions about what he was doing on the days he wasn’t with Austin. Of course, Sean had taken to tagging Austin in his photos, as if Austin were in them, which of course he wasn’t usually. But being tagged popped up a notification on his phone every time Sean did it, a fact Austin suspected Sean was taking advantage of to let Austin know how often Sean was thinking of him. And his texts were even more boyfriend-y.
Wish you were here. Tent’s way less snuggly without you.
Smiling to himself, he ignored Vinnie questions about who was messaging him, patting Vinnie on the foot absently as he passed by on his way to his room.
Time to remove temptation from his immediate orbit. Because as much as he wasn’t nearly as interested in what Vinnie was offering as he used to be, old habits died hard sometimes and Austin was only too good at talking himself into trouble with Vinnie.
Instead, Austin locked himself in his room with his laptop. That weekend in the woods with Sean had rejuvenated his enthusiasm for the summer project he’d abandoned since getting back on campus. Emerging only for crew practice and meals, Austin did a good enough job of missing the latter that when Sean showed up three days later with a bag of sandwiches from the campus center, Austin could have gnawed Sean’s hand off in his sudden hunger for a turkey grinder.
“Austin.” The hand knocking on his door had rapped sharply, which meant Vinnie. “Your boyfriend is here.”
Definitely Vinnie. Snotty remarks were his stock in trade when he was frustrated, and even oblivious Austin could tell Vinnie was frustrated with the way Austin had distanced himself over the last couple of days.
“Send him in,” he’d answered, and heard the door to his room open and shut.
“What have you been up to?” Sean asked while leaning over him from behind, sliding his hands down Austin’s chest and into his pants while mouthing at the side of his neck. “I haven’t seen you for the three days since I’ve been back.”
“Really?” Austin jerked his head up so quickly they knocked skulls. “Ow. Wow. I didn’t realize…”
“That’s cool. I figured you were caught up, but I couldn’t wait any longer. Figured if I showed up with food, maybe you’d let me in the door.”
And Sean was joking, but it also kind of sounded like maybe he hadn’t been entirely sure of the reception.
Hence the food.
Austin’s stomach growled at the reminder, the smell of warm turkey grinders having been driven out of his head by the scrape of Sean’s beard on his neck, a sensation Austin very much wanted duplicated all over his body.
Right after sandwiches.
But first…
He turned his head, snaked a hand behind Sean’s neck and pulled his face down to Austin’s level. Sean’s mouth tasted like chocolate and coffee and Austin licked into it, until he remembered how long it had been since he’d last brushed his teeth. He muffled his shriek by clamping his lips together as he turned his face away from the kiss.
“Where you going?” Sean murmured as Austin squirmed to escape from between Sean’s arms, which were braced on either side of him, palms on Austin’s desk.
“God, I’m gross. I’ve been on lockdown with this project and it’s possible I haven’t showered in—” He managed to stand up and paused to smell his own armpit. “—yeah, a couple of days. Hold that thought. I’m gonna take a quick shower.”
“Austin. I camp. I spend weeks outdoors
He ignored Vinnie as his phone buzzed with a text notification.
“You sure have your hand on your phone in a heartbeat lately,” Vinnie observed with far too much accuracy as Austin palmed his cell out of his back pocket.
It was true. He didn’t let his phone get far out of reach.
Sean’s Instagram addiction made it super easy to semi-stalk him without crossing the line into boyfriend-like questions about what he was doing on the days he wasn’t with Austin. Of course, Sean had taken to tagging Austin in his photos, as if Austin were in them, which of course he wasn’t usually. But being tagged popped up a notification on his phone every time Sean did it, a fact Austin suspected Sean was taking advantage of to let Austin know how often Sean was thinking of him. And his texts were even more boyfriend-y.
Wish you were here. Tent’s way less snuggly without you.
Smiling to himself, he ignored Vinnie questions about who was messaging him, patting Vinnie on the foot absently as he passed by on his way to his room.
Time to remove temptation from his immediate orbit. Because as much as he wasn’t nearly as interested in what Vinnie was offering as he used to be, old habits died hard sometimes and Austin was only too good at talking himself into trouble with Vinnie.
Instead, Austin locked himself in his room with his laptop. That weekend in the woods with Sean had rejuvenated his enthusiasm for the summer project he’d abandoned since getting back on campus. Emerging only for crew practice and meals, Austin did a good enough job of missing the latter that when Sean showed up three days later with a bag of sandwiches from the campus center, Austin could have gnawed Sean’s hand off in his sudden hunger for a turkey grinder.
“Austin.” The hand knocking on his door had rapped sharply, which meant Vinnie. “Your boyfriend is here.”
Definitely Vinnie. Snotty remarks were his stock in trade when he was frustrated, and even oblivious Austin could tell Vinnie was frustrated with the way Austin had distanced himself over the last couple of days.
“Send him in,” he’d answered, and heard the door to his room open and shut.
“What have you been up to?” Sean asked while leaning over him from behind, sliding his hands down Austin’s chest and into his pants while mouthing at the side of his neck. “I haven’t seen you for the three days since I’ve been back.”
“Really?” Austin jerked his head up so quickly they knocked skulls. “Ow. Wow. I didn’t realize…”
“That’s cool. I figured you were caught up, but I couldn’t wait any longer. Figured if I showed up with food, maybe you’d let me in the door.”
And Sean was joking, but it also kind of sounded like maybe he hadn’t been entirely sure of the reception.
Hence the food.
Austin’s stomach growled at the reminder, the smell of warm turkey grinders having been driven out of his head by the scrape of Sean’s beard on his neck, a sensation Austin very much wanted duplicated all over his body.
Right after sandwiches.
But first…
He turned his head, snaked a hand behind Sean’s neck and pulled his face down to Austin’s level. Sean’s mouth tasted like chocolate and coffee and Austin licked into it, until he remembered how long it had been since he’d last brushed his teeth. He muffled his shriek by clamping his lips together as he turned his face away from the kiss.
“Where you going?” Sean murmured as Austin squirmed to escape from between Sean’s arms, which were braced on either side of him, palms on Austin’s desk.
“God, I’m gross. I’ve been on lockdown with this project and it’s possible I haven’t showered in—” He managed to stand up and paused to smell his own armpit. “—yeah, a couple of days. Hold that thought. I’m gonna take a quick shower.”
“Austin. I camp. I spend weeks outdoors
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